WILHELM STEINITZ (born May-14-1836, died Aug-12-1900, 64 years old) Austria (federation/nationality United States of America) PRONUNCIATION: [what is this?] William (né Wolfgang, aka Wilhelm) Steinitz, born Prague BOH (Austrian Empire); died New York, NY USA. Wilhelm Steinitz is the earliest World Champion of chess recognized by FIDE. Background The last of thirteen sons of a hardware retailer, he was born in Prague in what was then the Kingdom of Bohemia within the Austrian Empire and which is now within the Czech republic. Like his father he was a Talmudic scholar, but then he left to study mathematics in the Vienna Polytechnic. He eventually dropped out of the Polytechnic to play chess professionally. Soon after, he played in the London tournament of 1862, and then settled in London for over twenty years, making his living at the London Chess Club. He emigrated to the USA in 1883, taking out US citizenship, living in New York for the rest of his life, and changing his first name to "William". Matches He was recognized as the world's leading player, and considered to be the world champion by many, after he defeated the then-acknowledged number one chess player in the world (now that Paul Morphy had retired), Adolf Anderssen, in a match in 1866 which he won by 8-6. However, it was not until his victory in the Steinitz - Zukertort World Championship Match (1886) – where he sat beside a US flag - that he was recognised as the first undisputed world chess champion. He successfully defended his title three times in the Steinitz - Chigorin World Championship Match (1889), the Steinitz - Gunsberg World Championship Match (1890), and in the Steinitz - Chigorin World Championship Rematch (1892). In 1894, Emanuel Lasker won the crown from Steinitz by winning the Steinitz - Lasker World Championship Match (1894) and retained it by winning the Lasker - Steinitz World Championship Rematch (1896). Steinitz was an extremely successful match player. Between 1860 and 1897, he played 36 matches, winning every serious match with the exception of his two matches against Lasker. Some of the prominent players of the day that he defeated in match play other than in his world championship matches included Max Lange, Serafino Dubois, Frederick Deacon, Dionisio Martinez, Joseph Blackburne, Anderssen, Augustus Mongredien, Henry Bird, Johannes Zukertort, George Mackenzie, and Celso Golmayo Zupide. Tournaments Steinitz was more adept at winning matches than tournaments in his early years, a factor, which alongside his prolonged absences from competition chess after 1873, may have prevented more widespread recognition of his dominance of chess as world champion until the first "official" world championship match in 1886. Nevertheless, between 1859 and his death in 1900, the only tournament in which he did not win prize money was his final tournament in London in 1899. His wins include the Vienna Championship of 1861 which he won with 30/31 and earned him the nickname the "Austrian Morphy", the London Championship of 1862, Dublin 1865 (equal first with George MacDonnell), London 1872, equal first at Vienna 1873 and 1882 (the latter was the strongest tournament to that time, and Steinitz had just returned from 9 years of absence from tournament chess), and first in the New York Championship of 1894. Other successes include 3rd and 2nd at the Vienna Championships of 1859 and 1860 respectively, 2nd at Dundee in 1867, 3rd in Paris in 1867, 2nd in Baden Baden in 1870, 2nd in London in 1883, 5th at the Hastings super tournament in 1895, 2nd at the sextuple round robin St Petersburg quadrangular tournament behind Lasker and ahead of Harry Pillsbury and Mikhail Chigorin, 6th at Nuremburg in 1896, and 4th at Vienna in 1898. Steinitz's Legacy The extent of Steinitz's dominance in world chess is evident from the fact that from 1866, when he beat Adolf Anderssen, to 1894, when he relinquished the world crown to Emanuel Lasker, Steinitz won all his matches, sometimes by wide margins. His worst tournament performance in that period was third place in Paris in 1867. This period of Steinitz's career was closely examined by Chessmetrics exponent and advocate, Jeff Sonas, who wrote an article in 2005 in which he found that Steinitz was further ahead of his contemporaries in the 1870s than Robert James Fischer was in his peak period (1970–1972), that he had the third-highest total number of years as the world's top player, behind Emanuel Lasker and Garry Kasparov, and that he placed 7th in a comparison the length of time great players were ranked in the world's top three. Despite his pre-eminence in chess for those decades in the late 19th century, Steinitz's main contribution to chess was as its first true theoretician. He rose to prominence in the 1860s on the back of highly competent handling of the romantic attacking style of chess that had been popularised by Morphy and Anderssen and which characterised the style of the era. However, in the Vienna tournament of 1873, he introduced a new positional style of play which not only commenced his run of 25 consecutive high level victories, but profoundly transformed the way chess was played from shortly after that time, when its efficacy was embraced by the chess world. It enabled him to establish his complete dominance over his long time rival, Johannes Zukertort, and to easily win the first official match for the World Championship. Lasker summarised Steinitz's ideas as follows: "In the beginning of the game ignore the search for combinations, abstain from violent moves, aim for small advantages, accumulate them, and only after having attained these ends search for the combination – and then with all the power of will and intellect, because then the combination must exist, however deeply hidden." Although these ideas were controversial and fiercely debated for some years in what has become known as the <Ink Wars>, Lasker and the next generation of the world's best players acknowledged their debt to him. "He was a thinker worthy of a seat in the halls of a University. A player, as the world believed he was, he was not; his studious temperament made that impossible; and thus he was conquered by a player ..." - <Emanuel Lasker>. "He understood more about the use of squares than did Morphy, and contributed a great deal more to chess theory.' - <Bobby Fischer>. Sources <jessicafischerqueen>'s YouTube documentary http://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis... - in turn sourced mainly from <Kurt Landsberger's> biography "Bohemian Caesar." References Wikipedia article: Wilhelm Steinitz https://www.findagrave.com/memorial... Last updated: 2025-04-13 18:53:01

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page 1 of 44; games 1-25 of 1,085  Game   Result Moves Year Event/Locale Opening 1. K Hamppe vs Steinitz 0-1 23 1859 Vienna C29 Vienna Gambit 2. Lenhof vs Steinitz 0-1 45 1859 Casual game C23 Bishop's Opening 3. Steinitz vs Lenhof 1-0 32 1859 Casual game C52 Evans Gambit 4. Steinitz vs P Meitner 1-0 34 1859 Casual game C52 Evans Gambit 5. E Pilhal vs Steinitz 0-1 21 1859 Casual game C53 Giuoco Piano 6. K Hamppe vs Steinitz 0-1 28 1859 Casual game C38 King's Gambit Accepted 7. Steinitz vs F Nowotny 1-0 31 1859 Vienna CC t C55 Two Knights Defense 8. Steinitz vs NN 1-0 12 1860 Unknown C25 Vienna 9. Steinitz vs Harrwitz   0-1 39 1860 Casual game B44 Sicilian 10. Steinitz vs NN   1-0 20 1860 Odds game 000 Chess variants 11. Steinitz vs NN   1-0 15 1860 Casual game C41 Philidor Defense 12. Steinitz vs NN 1-0 16 1860 Casual game C50 Giuoco Piano 13. Steinitz vs NN   1-0 18 1860 Casual game 000 Chess variants 14. NN vs Steinitz 0-1 24 1860 Casual game C59 Two Knights 15. Harrwitz vs Steinitz   1-0 25 1860 Casual game D20 Queen's Gambit Accepted 16. K Hamppe vs Steinitz 0-1 31 1860 Casual game C27 Vienna Game 17. Steinitz vs NN   1-0 20 1860 Casual game C52 Evans Gambit 18. Steinitz vs E Pilhal 1-0 17 1860 Vienna C52 Evans Gambit 19. Steinitz vs NN   1-0 24 1860 Odds game 000 Chess variants 20. H Strauss vs Steinitz 0-1 31 1860 Casual game C51 Evans Gambit 21. Steinitz vs H Strauss 1-0 33 1860 Casual game C29 Vienna Gambit 22. Steinitz vs P Meitner 1-0 26 1860 Casual game C55 Two Knights Defense 23. Steinitz vs Lang 1-0 19 1860 Casual game C37 King's Gambit Accepted 24. Steinitz vs Reiner 1-0 32 1860 Casual game C51 Evans Gambit 25. Steinitz vs Lang 1-0 29 1860 Casual game C25 Vienna  page 1 of 44; games 1-25 of 1,085

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< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 16 OF 48 ·  Later Kibitzing> Jun-10-05    WMD: 'Herr Steinitz, with no regard for his personal appearance, one day presented himself for admission to the Club-room. One of the waitresses, thinking him to be a tramp asking for charity, ordered him off the premises with a 'There's nothing for you today.' Explanations followed and the master gained his point and entry to the Club-room.' (BCM, 1944, history of Glasgow CC) Jun-11-05    lostemperor: <FHBradley> you might want to read Keene's comment on the brain's influence on life expectency, in case you haven't yet Keene vs Martinovsky, 1985. It seems to agree on your story though Steinitz may not be the perfect rolemodel. But I wouldn't give up on aerobics altogether. Steinitz <a tramp>? I thought he was the young Santa Claus. Jun-24-05    e4Newman: I read that Steinitz was born May 14, same as me. Says above May 17. Oh well, probably didn't have the greatest records back then. Jun-26-05    ckr: <e4Newman You may have to forgo on that honor> There is some confusion on Steinitz's exact birth date. In 1982 the Czech "Goverment Central Archives" as well as other agencies reported: Josef Salamon Steinitz 11 Siblings: ... 6. Benedikt, born April 29 1833 7. Wolf (Wilhelm), born May 14, 1837 8. Fredrika, Born December 21, 1837 ... (Fredrika - 6 Months after Wolf?) Eight years later the Czech "Goverment Central Archives" reported all 13 siblings and had changed the birth date of Wolf to May 14, 1836. Additionally his Date of birth has been reported as being on May 16 or May 18 of 1836. However, there is every reason to believe that Wilhelm also knew his own birth date. In answers to correspondents Wilhelm himself twice published (in issues of the "International Chess Magazine", June 1887 and again April 1891) his date of birth as being May 17, 1836. <ChessGames> is going with what Steinitz himself claimed and the confusion is understandable. Jun-26-05    Calli: Birth records in the 19th century are partial to non-existent in many cases. I think this is because in many places it was not required to register a birth with the government. Given that most were born at home and large families were common, its not surprising that birth dates became confused. Researchers tend to rely on church records (Baptisms etc) as better than government documents. Death notices, though, are very accurate. Suspect that this is because they were generally published in the newspaper and the local coroner would confirm that there was no foul play in the death. In a little project with <CKR>, there are several players with known DODs, but we only know the age at death and therefore can estimate the DOB within one year but not exactly. Jun-26-05    e4Newman: Thanks for the info folks. Seems fairly detailed, even his birth year is mis-quoted - wow! It's too bad about this confusion because a friend of mine visitted his grave in the eastern US somewhere (I have the picture) and his tombstone says May 14...(I'll have to check the year now). He thought he'd give it to me because he knew I liked chess and that was my birthdate. So even at his final resting place they have it wrong. Jun-26-05    ckr: <e4Newman> Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. But in checking the ChessGames archives it shows a <e4Newman> was born on May 17th. So perhaps your still held in grace. In other matters: http://findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cg... As the picture shows, his grave says born Mai 14 1836 - no bout adout it. I wonder if the cematary provides pieces to go with the board. Have a game over the <Wolf> anyone? Jun-26-05    ckr: <Calli> a S&V is in the works Jun-26-05    Knight13: "Only the player with the initiative has the right to attack" --- Wilhelm Steinitz Jun-27-05    e4Newman: thanks <ckr> :) Jun-27-05    ckr: <ckr his grave says born Mai 14 1836> No the bio to the side says "1836" but the grave stone reads "Mai 14, 1837" or so it appears from the photo. Ahg, this is a mess! I thought that "Tuesday's Child" was full of grace. Jun-27-05    aw1988: Did someone say wolf? Jul-16-05    chancho: Wilhelm Steinitz played many matches, and won almost all of them. The only exception being his two losses to Lasker.Wilhelm Steinitz, was a Champion in every sense of the word.He was always willing to take on all comers. Jul-22-05    ckr: After he defeated Anderssen Steinitz became the (self proclaimed) World Champion. Many others had serious reservations in placing so much weight on a single match. It was because, as <chancho> notes, <willing to take on all comers> that enabled Steinitz to keep his title and later actually become recognized as the World Champion. It was also Steinitz himself that publicized the term 'World Champion". Probably a good example of the 'Power of Positive Thinking'. Jul-22-05    chancho: If his claim as champion after the Anderssen match was recognized,his 28 years,1866 to 1894, would be the record. Not Lasker's 27 years as titleholder. Jul-23-05    lblai: Nobody has yet produced any record of Steinitz (or anyone else) making a claim in the 1860s that Steinitz was the World Champion. Steinitz himself argued (in 1874) that he had a claim to the title of champion, by noting that he had "not yet lost any set match on even terms" and had "come out victorious in the last two international tournaments". Is that the argument of someone who believed that he had won the title in 1866? As far as we can tell, it was much later when claims were made about Steinitz having been World Champion since 1866. Jul-23-05    chancho: <iblai> you may have a point there, but some players from the past thought he was champion after the Anderssen match.Reti wrote in his book Masters of the Chessboard,"In 1866 Steinitz played a match against Anderssen again the leading player after Morphy's retirement,and won 8:6 without a draw. Although the title did not exixt at the time,Steinitz had actually become World Champion.Raymond Keene wrote in his pocket book of Chess,"Steinitz unofficial reign as World champion began in 1866,but it was only in 1886 that Steinitz felt able to call himself World Champion after defeating his greatest rival Zukertort". I cannot say for sure that Steinitz claimed he was champion after the Anderssen Match. I just followed the <ckr> post, saying if 1866 was recognized as the start of his reign, he would have been champ for 28 years.I did say something about a claim but I mistakenly wrote that in. Jul-23-05    percyblakeney: Maybe one could say that from when Steinitz called himself World Champion is less important than the fact that he won all the matches he played for 32 years. He didn't avoid the best opponents, played frequently (twice against Zukertort and Chigorin), and only lost when he met the almost 33 years younger Lasker. The latter had the title for 27 years, but for two periods of 11 years each he didn't defend his title at all, and when he did he avoided the top players. Jul-24-05    sneaky pete: Wiener Schachzeitung, July 1936, from a letter by Adolf Julius Zinkl: Im Jahre 1892 richtete Dr. Hermann Neustadtl an das "Deutsche Wochenschach" eine Zuschrift, die dort auf Seite 83 abgedruckt wurde und lautete: "In Nr. 1 Ihrer Zeitung ist in der Biographie Steinitz' dessen Geburtstag mit dem 18. Mai 1837 angegeben. Weder dies, noch der von Steinitz selbst angegebene Tag (17. Mai 1836) sind richtig, sondern, wie ich mich nach der Matrikenfuehrung des Prager juedischen Rathauses ueberzeugt habe, ist das richtige Datum 14. Mai 1836." Jul-25-05    ckr: <lblai Nobody has yet produced any record of Steinitz (or anyone else) making a claim in the 1860s> Kurt Landsberger's book pg.66 "When Steinitz defeted Anderssen he announced that he was the World Champion. Nobody objected to his claim, especially since Steinitz was always willing and never hesitant in defending his title." ..... " In Williams Winter's analysis of Staunton, Anderssen Morphy and Steinitz as World Champions of the 19th century he explains that of these, <Just on what he said about Steinitz> Steinitz after his victory over Anderssen was the first to claim himself World Champion, and his right to the title was generally recognized by the chess world." Reading from this source it would appear that Steinitz did indeed claim himself to be World Champion, as to how wide the recognization was (or how well accepted) I am not sure of. Jul-25-05    chancho: One has to give Steinitz his just due. He did not duck anyone.The man was always willing to take on the best, and for the better part of his career, he won! He finally lost to a 26 year old Lasker.A great Champion finally deposed by a future great. Jul-25-05    ckr: <sneaky pete> My limited translation skills indicates that the Dr. Hermann Neustadtl was replying and denounced the first two birthdates then indicating the correct date is May 14 1836 ? (based upon some jewish register) ? Perhaps we will never know for sure, but I would continue to accept his date of birth as being on May 17, 1836, as Steinitz himself published. Also to recognize I could very easily be wrong. Jul-25-05    chancho: A 24 match win streak before finally losing to Lasker. That is being active folks! Jul-25-05    lblai: Kurt Landsberger did indeed make the claim that Steinitz announced that he was the World Champion when he defeted Anderssen in 1866. However, when asked for specifics to back up that claim, he had absolutely nothing from the 1860s to document the claim. He had simply believed what he had read in another history book. Chess history authors are notorious for making assertions without checking the facts. Jul-25-05    lblai: One can see Kurt Landsberger writing on the subject (and quoting nothing from the 1860s) in the third issue of the Quarterly for Chess History. It seems like a good guess that he had relied on what William Winter wrote. Unfortunately, Kings of Chess does not inspire confidence. In the introduction, 1867 (instead of 1866) is given as the year of the Steinitz victory over Anderssen, and, in the first chapter, William Winter confuses the 1909 non-championship Lasker-Janowski match with the 1910 championship Laker- Janowski match. In Championship Chess, P. W. Sergeant asserted that Steinitz "did not claim any title when he defeated Anderssen in a match in 1866". According to William Hartston, "In later years, Steinitz was to backdate his tenure of the World Championship to that match with Anderssen in 1866 ..., though at the time there was no suggestion of any title at stake." Jump to page #    (enter # from 1 to 48) search thread:    < Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 16 OF 48 ·  Later Kibitzing>

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